Second Chance
by The Pootamis
Summary: If you were ever given a second chance to go back and change things would you? Would you have the courage to take the step forward or would you take a step back? She already knew the answer. She could only hope she has the courage to do the things that needed to be done.


" _If you were given a second chance to live freely the way you wanted to. To go back and change things would you? I'm offering you a chance. A chance to rewrite history. A chance to be with him again. To change things the way they should have gone. I can't promise you what will happen. The future is never set in motion. What I can promise you is a fighting chance."_

A statement that continues to echo through her mind. A statement that comes with a decision. The biggest decision of her life. A decision that she weighs heavily with her mind and heart not agreeing on either. Her heart knows what she wants. Hell even the sister from a different dimension could tell what she always desires in her heart despite her best efforts to conceal her emotions. No matter how hard she had tried. No matter what she kept telling herself whenever she saw him. Whenever she spoke with him even for the briefest of moments her heart ached for him. Ached to be with him. Ached to be the one by his side and not some wanna Oracle. A desire that had never came to be. Her one chance at doing so she had wasted thanks to her need for vengeance. The need to rid this dimension of him when her mind wasn't clear and was dead set on helping the man that had freed her from her cell in Central City.

But now? As of three days ago a glimmer of hope had presented itself to her in the form of one Sara Lance. Her doggleganger's younger sister. A younger sister that has come to be known as the leader of a vigilante group called The Legends. A group that travels through time to prevent such crises from happening. And the biggest crisis was yet to come. A crisis that could be prevented. Not by this younger Lance. No only by her. That is what she had been told and nothing else. The haunting look in the young girl's eyes spoke volumes for when her lips failed to mutter out the words.

A decision that she had been weighing on for the past three days. Three days of no sleep. Three days of looking out from her advantage point down at Star City. Three days of reliving her own personal hell with memory after memory flooding into her mind. Memories of her past life. Memories of the pain that she had felt when she heard the news of The Queen's Gambit sinking. The pain of rushing into Starling Hospital five years later only to find Robert Queen being attended to. A pain that she never wanted to experience again. But if she was to do this. If she was to take a leap of faith and accept this chance then and only then would her own personal demons be conquered. Such a thought that she has pondered silently for the past couple of hours as she stares down at a small photograph in her right hand. A worn out photograph. A photo that she had taken off Oliver without him noticing months prior. The very same photograph that she had given her Oliver so long ago. The very last time a genuine smile had been across her face when she stared at the camera just thinking about how happy she was at the time.

A photograph that she had fought internally whether or not to destroy a few times before. A photograph that at times she thought was taunting her in a sense of what could have been. Of what her life could have been like if she had done things differently. But now? Now perhaps this photograph was the key. The key to give her the push that she needs to do what in her heart is the right thing to do. Not for the world. No she could care less about that. No do what is best for her. And with that taking a long deep breath tucking the photograph into her pants pocket leaning off the railing she had been leaning against for a good portion of the last twenty fours hours with a look of determination coming across her face slowly Laurel makes her way off the patio and disappears into her pent house for the very last time not even bothering to close the door behind herself.

* * *

" _This is it. Your last chance. If you want to back out now is your last chance to do so. Once you step through that portal there is no going back ..."_

Suddenly snapping upright feeling nothing but cold sweat dripping down her barely covered body reaching up to clutch her forehead just seems about to burst at any second closing her eyes taking a couple of deep breathes slowly Laurel shakes her head only to wince when she does so. A headache that only gets worse by the second as a flood of memories make their way through her mind.

_What the hell was that? Was that just a dream?_

A piece of her truly thought this. Thought this was nothing but a dream. But her heart? Her heart is telling her something else. Telling her to listen and look around her surroundings. A silent message that makes her open her eyes and look down only for them to go wide as saucers when she finds Oliver sound asleep by her side. A much younger Oliver Queen than she is used to seeing. An Oliver Queen that she had pictured perfectly just like this. Pictured his long hair just begging to be cut. The traces of facial hair growing out all across his face. The peaceful smile across his face. This was the Oliver Queen that she had grown to love. That she was sure of making for the first time in several years silent tears of joy to trickle down her cheeks.

_It worked. It really worked. He's back. I'm back._

Realization that makes her lips curl up into a wide smirk before she quietly lowers herself back down to gently lay her head down on his shoulder while her eyes never leave his sleeping face for a single moment. A face that she would stare at for hours silently not daring to close her eyes.

* * *

_What's going on? They're not meant to be here._

Everything around her is wrong. So wrong. She had been an only child. A child that had been raised by her mother after her father had died during the line of duty. But what she is seeing right now. What she is witnessing wasn't right. He was here. Her father was here alive reading a newspaper occasional taking a sip from his coffee mug while sending subtle looks of distaste towards Oliver's way when he thinks she isn't looking. Sara Lance. Her doggleganger's little sister is here sitting across the kitchen table from her just staring at the man sitting next to her with this smug look across her face. Two beings that she can't help but glance between while her grip around Oliver's hand underneath the table tightens by the second. That is until her eyes go wide in realization.

_Wait? Is this what she meant? Is this what she warned me about?_

And just like that everything was coming together. All the blank pieces of her memory that was slowly coming back to her through the night. Memories of her past life. Memories of a possible future. And yet it wasn't possible now. Not with how everything is now. Not with the new memories that she has gained. Memories that she knew right here and now belonged to another Laurel Lance. The Laurel Lance of Earth-1. She had been warned this would happen. She had been warned that she would merge with the Earth-1 Laurel Lance. She just didn't truly believe it but she does now. She believes it and she can't help but smile faintly at the changes. These small and yet large changes to her life. The first of many changes that she would make to this timeline. And she knew where to start. Something that should have never happened to begin with in the other timeline. Something Earth-1's Laurel Lance should have done from the start.

* * *

Stopping outside of the closed door closing her eyes taking a calming breath reaching out gently Laurel knocks on the door in front of her and pulls back her hand waiting for a response to come from the other side.

" It's open!"

Smiling faintly opening the bedroom door slowly looking around the room as she finds Sara sitting on her bedroom bed reading through a magazine on her lap sending a questionable look her way with a clearly forced smile resisting the urge to roll her eyes keeping the smile on her face making sure to close the door silently behind her slowly Laurel leans back against the door with her arms coming to cross over her chest.

" We need to talk."

Receiving nothing but a slight nod taking a deep breathe a stern look comes across Laurel's face as she watches Sara discard her magazine off to the side and turn to fully face her with her feet dangling off the side of the bed.

" It's about Oliver isn't it?"

Giving her a look that says no shit Sherlock narrowing her eyes at the younger Lance as she hears Sara letting out a sigh and pat the spot next to her on the bed leaning off the door cautiously Laurel makes her way to sit by her side.

" Yes it's about Oliver. I need you to please stop what you are planning."

Seeing nothing but a confused look coming across Sara's face rolling her eyes letting out a huff Laurel narrows her eyes dangerous.

" I know that you plan on boarding The Queen's Gambit when Robert Queen takes Oliver out to The North China Sea later this month. I know that you plan to seduce Oliver into helping you achieve your little scheme. I also know that you want to do this just to hurt me. I'm asking you to please stop and think before you do this. I don't know what I did to make you hate me but this isn't the way. Stealing away the man that I love with every fiber in my being isn't how to solve this. So i'm asking you. If you have a problem with me then please speak your mind right now. Yell at me. Scream at me but please. Please don't try to take him away from me. I won't let you. Last time you tried, I called the police on you. There won't be a next time. If you have something to say to me then say it because I'm not leaving this room until you do."

* * *

_You can do this. You have to do this. He has to get on that boat. You can't stop him from getting on that boat._

It was like reliving a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. Her worst nightmare coming to life. They were here once again. Back on this dock with The Queen's Gambit off in the distance just waiting for him to board. Only this time he wouldn't be accompanied by another. This she had ensured. It had taken hours. Several hours to finally settle their differences but they had come to an understanding. A much needed understanding that in return has led to them having a better relationship. A true sibling relationship. One in which she truly had never experienced before but Earth-1 Laurel had and she was feeding off the memories left behind from her counterpart. In fact just behind her in the distance she can hear the teasing snickers echoing from the top of the docks where Sara could be found talking to Thea in a hushed conversation that they didn't want to be heard.

And she knew what came next. A moment that had haunted her for so many years. A moment that is like a blur as her body reacts on its own before the words escape her lips as she suppresses the sobs that want to break free.

" And I wanted to give you something in case you get lonely overseas."

A moment that she knew could haunt her for the rest of her days if she wasn't careful. If the timeline had already been changed way too much. She knew what needed to be done and yet it didn't make it any easier. He needed to get on this boat. He needed to sail out to sea with his father. If he didn't then he would never become The Green Arrow. He would never be able to prevent thousands of lives to be saved once The Undertaking takes place. He would never be able to save Starling City once Ra's al Ghul pays a visit to release a deadly virus upon the city. She could go on and on. But he needed to do this. She needed to do this. She had to let him go despite everything in her telling her to plead and beg him to stay here with her. And it didn't get any easier for her when she had watched with a forced smile The Queen's Gambit sail away for the last time with only one Queen to return. She just hoped her past didn't repeat itself.

* * *

The day had finally arrived. A day that she has waited five long years for. Five years begging and pleading with the fates to have the right member of The Queen Family be returned. Five years that she has slowly changed the timeline. Hopefully for the better. Thanks to the past knowledge of Earth-1 Laurel Lance god she needed to think of another way to describe it along with her own personal doings she had followed in her footsteps becoming a lawyer. A well known lawyer much like she had been. That part she knew needed to stay the same. That job title along with the position of becoming the future district attorney would enable her to imprison Damien Dhark for good this time. Especially with the knowledge of what his true power source is now thanks to the now non existent Sara Lance from her timeline.

But as much as some things stayed the same many other things hadn't. She didn't just hit the books. No she had studied a lot more than just law books. Now she could handle herself in a fight without the need of her enhanced metahuman powers. Such powers that she could be granted in a year's time if she was to pay a visit to Central City the day Harrison Well's particle accelerator affected so many like it was set to do again. She had gained information on many individuals that she had researched about long ago once she learned their respective demises had come at Oliver's hand in the past timeline. Research that would prevent another Adrian Chase from rising up in the future.

She could only hope that her meddling with the current timeline hasn't changed things too drastically. Some things already worried her. Sara Lance. The Sara Lance of this timeline was far different than the previous. This Sara Lance didn't board The Queen's Gambit. This Sara Lance didn't have to bear the hardships of Lian Yu. Wouldn't become the first Black Canary in an almost ridiculous cycle of canaries. That title would be hers and hers alone in this timeline. She would never become the leader of The Legends. No she was now off living in San Francisco working on getting her college degree. An already alarming change that she could only hope wouldn't prove to be truly drastic to the timeline. But she could only hope.

Just like she is doing now. Just like how she is sitting at her desk in the CNRI building looking down towards a case file much like her previous counterpart must have been with the television hanging overhead playing silently. A case file that although open is of no interest to her. Not with what is about to happen in a few short minutes. Not when any second a breaking story is about to pop up on the television screen that would either make her heart soar or shatter into a million pieces. A screen that she has glanced up towards for the past hour just demanding for it to happen already. And just as she looks up again her heart stops when it finally happens. When the words breaking news comes flooding across the television screen. A story that she doesn't dare to even breathe as she slowly listens to the reporter reading the box just underneath him.

" Oliver Queen is alive…."

Words that she never thought would be so beautiful coming out from another mouth. Words that make her sigh in relief and lean back to rest against the back of her chair as silent tears trickle down her cheeks. But her work was far from done. Their work was yet to start. But first there is one thing on her mind to do first. Something that makes her smile brightly as she gets up from her chair grabbing her leather jacket from the back before making a beeline through the office as her coworkers stare at the television screen in a stunned silence.

* * *

It didn't surprise her. Not really anyways. How he tried to hide his new found career choice. She had to admit. When she first heard about the location of the first Lair she had to applaud him. I mean a base right underneath a nightclub. You wouldn't have to go far to get a victory drink after a job well done. But that didn't stop from him being surprised. Especially when she had figured him out so quickly. How she had questioned him about where he would go at night knowing fully well what he was doing. His answers had been and were always amusing to hear. Though the look on his face right now was even more amusing. This look of surprise on his face as he stands in the center of The Lair with the glass container containing his Hood suit being presented front and center to her. She could only imagine what her counterpart's reaction had been to the news in the past timeline. For her even though she had it already has a response planned out perfectly.

" Why am I not surprised? Honestly Ollie? Who else could it have been? Nobody uses a bow and arrow these days."

* * *

" You're not mad?"

Lifting her head up from his shoulder looking to his face seeing a questionable look in his eyes, feeling her lips curling up into a small smile reaching up Laurel lays her right hand down on Oliver's cheek and gently rubs his cheek with her thumb.

" Why would I be? You're helping rid this city of the filth that is walking around out there taking advantage of everyone around them. Unlike me, you get to have some fun doing so. I get stuck doing paperwork and cell visits."

Smirking down at the pout that has somehow made its way across her face reaching up Oliver lays a hand down on her hand holding it in place on his cheek.

" How did I get so lucky to end up with you?"

Feeling her lips curling up into a grin shrugging her shoulders gently Laurel scoots further into his embrace and lays her head back down on his shoulder.

" What can i say? You rock my world. But shouldn't you be asking me a certain question? I've been waiting for a few months now and have yet to hear it. I believe it involves around you getting down on one knee? A little black box? Ring any bells?"

" Nope."

Instantly as he feels her eyes on him a wide grin comes across Oliver's face.

" Besides shouldn't you be asking me that question?"

Without giving him a chance to react instantly using all the strength that she can muster Laurel pushes Oliver off their shared bedroom bed and smiles faintly when she hears the thud of him hitting the hardwood floor.

* * *

" And you said nobody uses bow and arrows anymore."

" Oh shut up."

Smirking underneath his hood racing through the darkened room taking out every single man that dares get in his path as he sees out of the corner of his eye high above on the second level rearing back an arrow right as he goes into a slide taking out the feet of a hired gun right in front of him sending them to the ground viciously instantly Oliver hears a scream of pain coming from a nearby man that has an arrow sticking through his right hand. A man that he watches be silenced when an arrow comes soaring through the air piercing through the side of his head. A lifeless body that drops before the sound of gunfire echoes through the room making him go back into a run taking down every single hired gun that sends round after round up blindly towards the second level causing the sound of glass shattering from every single round that connects against a glass railing.

Keeping her feet moving and her head down racing across the second level merely avoiding round after round that is being sent her way leaping across the floor into a roll around the corner twirling around with an arrow ready without any delay Laurel sends the arrow soaring downward connecting against a nearby hired gun's chest sending his lifeless body barreling to the ground.

_It might not be what I'm used to but it sure does get the job done._

* * *

Now was time for a change. A small change that she could only hope wouldn't affect the timeline too badly. A welcomed change in her book. His father had just been slain a couple nights prior. A death that in the previous timeline had made this young man standing a couple of yards away from her to snap and turn into something deranged. Something twisted. Something truly horrifying. But not this time. Not when she can do something about it. Not as she watches him sit on the edge of a boat with his feet dangling off the end staring lifelessly at the water. Staring down at his reflection with a nearly empty bottle of whisky in his right hand while his left holds a small picture of himself and his father on this very boat.

A sight that if it was anyone else she would have felt sorry for. Would have but not him. No she knew what this man would become if she were to leave now. A monster that she would not allow to be created as she silently moves across the docks using the shadows as cover. Silently makes her way across the boat with him not knowing. That is until she springs on him. That is until the garrote wire in her hands come to wrap around his throat and her right knee pushes against his lower back as she pulls back with all of her might while he desperately tries to free himself. A young man that she would watch the life leave his eyes before pushing his lifeless body down into the water with a splash. A young man that would never grow up to become a lawyer. Would never grow up to be trained by The League of Assassins. Would never grow up to become Prometheus.

* * *

_Which one was it again? Damnit! Why didn't I just give a tip to the boys in blue about this!?_

Here it was. A device that in a few short minutes would cause thousands to die unless she does something about it. The Markov Device. That is what it had been referred to as anyways. A little over the top but it didn't matter it. The devices were being dealt with. The original and only thought of to be the only device was being dealt with a good distance away on the other side of the city by her father and the bomb squad. That part of the timeline she had made sure stayed intact. But this device. This massive bomb in front of her. This was the one that had done the damage in the last timeline. The secret bomb that none knew about. But luckily for her and the citizens of the city she knew. She knew exactly where the most damage had taken place. Knew exactly where to start searching.

A bomb that she had already opened thanks to her enhanced strength. That part of the timeline from her world she had kept. It was a wonder how much she missed her metahuman abilities. Still she didn't remember it hurting as much as it did this time around but no matter. She would soon dish out a new hidden trick to all those that dared to oppose her. Or so she hoped. While her fiance is busy having fun battling Malcolm Merlyn on a rooftop in the middle of the city here she was staring down at a device that could turn her into nothing but a memory with one wrong move.

_Well it's now or never._

Taking a deep breathe retrieving a knife out from her pocket wrapping a wire around the blade with a look of determination coming across her face instantly Laurel cuts through the wire cleanly in one swift motion.

* * *

Now she was starting to worry. Now she was starting to panic. Everything was going wrong. The timeline had changed drastically. She would say for the better but her mind was in turmoil. The Undertaking. One of the biggest events to ever take place in Starling City had been prevented. Thousands of lives had not been lost. A city never had to mourn for lost ones. Civilians never had to revolt against the government they had voted in causing many higher ups to lose their jobs. A drastic shift that never saw her mother in law thrown into prison when the guilt became too much.

But what was disturbing was he has yet to show up yet in this timeline. The very same man that had been the first to truly do some major damage to her husband. Slade Wilson has yet to appear. Ms Rochev has yet to make an appearance. Even now as she sits in her office inside of CNRI building. A building that had been destroyed in another timeline. All of this was truly disturbing and yet a piece of her felt relieved. Relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with the heartache of having to watch his mother murdered in front of his very eyes. Relieved that her sister in law wouldn't have to deal with the emotional pain of knowing Malcolm Merlyn was her father. A secret that she would take to her grave. Afterall the youngest Queen sibling has taken quite a liking to her. Perhaps soon she would share the secret of what she and her husband do at night with her. That part of the timeline could still be kept the same. At the mere thought of what Thea's reaction would be once she learns The Lair is directly underneath the very nightclub that she has been put in charge of running still makes her chuckle. The very same chuckle that would often escape her lips when she would think about some of the other changes she has already made. Who needed Team Arrow? She and Oliver were doing much better on their own. Besides she was saving the members from another timeline a lot of heartache. John Diggle was still around doing the job that he had been assigned to do from the beginning, He was playing the role as Oliver Queen's bodyguard. Sometimes even her bodyguard whenever she wanted to go out to explore the city. Not that either of them needed such a thing but they needed to keep up the charade. But the welcoming change was she wouldn't have to deal with her. Wouldn't have to deal with Felicity Smoak. Wouldn't have to deal with the annoying blonde bimbo. A woman that she was still surprised at all of the things she had gotten away with in the past timeline. How she had gotten away scot clean even though she was a well known computer hacker and don't get her started on Havenrock. A woman that she can picture now sitting in that little dark room in Queen Consolidated going over paperwork from his station. Perhaps she should do something about that? Afterall it wouldn't be good to have an ex criminal working for a well known company that estimates in the billions.

* * *

Alright now it was official. This timeline has gone to hell. No Slade Wilson. No Raus al Ghul. Not even Damien Dhark making an appearance. No nothing but a couple of small time crime bosses. Some in which have been dealt with quite easily. Hell even Cayden James and his precious Helix had been a pushover. If he wasn't already. What the deal was with hackers in the past timeline she would never know. It was like being part of a stupid nerdy drama soap opera. But not this time. She had personally taken care of him. Had personally watched him die before playing her part as the district attorney to ensure his accomplacinces never see the light of day again. Though Ricardo Diaz still needed to be dealt with. A man that was slowly starting to make a name for himself. Perhaps later tonight The Green Arrow and The Black Canary would pay him a visit. That is if she ever gets this paperwork done.

But yet again perhaps what is happening is a blessing. Perhaps her coming back here doing what she has done has changed the timeline for the better. She could only hope. The future that had been described to her was nothing short of sinister. Was nothing short of terrifying. Hopefully the future Sara Lance had seen has truly been destroyed. All she could do was taking one step at a time and wait for the future to unfold.


End file.
